In The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, local artist Sonny Liew explores the history of Singapore through the eyes of protagonist Charlie Chan Hock Chye, a comic artist who lives from the Colonial era to post-independence Singapore. Using his under-rated artistic genius, Chan depicts Singapore’s transforming landscape through various comic strips that allegorizes cornerstones of the Republic’s history. With Singapore’s colonial history and evolution into an independent nation-state, Singapore’s nationalism parallels Thai scholar Thongchai Winichakul’s belief that Asian nationalism is distinct from European nationalism, writing in his book Southeast Asian Historians and Postnational Histories that “[T]he experiences of Western Europe” (17) should …show more content…
From Chan’s satirical comic panel of “Singapore Story” (annex A), Liew depicts interviewer Wang Sha Sha and curator Ye Man Fong engaged in dialogue over Singapore’s history. While Wang is skeptical of “British imperialistic colonialism(‘s) “influence on Singapore, the pro-government Ye reassures him of the vital role which the British played in creating Singapore’s free port, enabling the inflow of immigrants from multiple backgrounds, building the foundation which ultimately led to Singapore’s unique multiculturalism. Through examining “Singapore Story” through the lens of Thongchai, I find that the Republic’s former colonial masters have played Thongchai’s envisioned “genealogical ancestors of nationalism” in Singapore’s context, essentially creating the groundwork for post-independent Singapore government to incorporate multiculturalism into the core identity of Singapore’s nation. By weaving the transformative narrative of Singapore in the comic strip, Liew demonstrates his art work’s nationalistic …show more content…
Nonetheless, the book has managed to top local and international bestseller lists, receive positive reviews from Publishers Weekly and the Economist, and win the 2016 Singapore Literature award. I interpret this reception of The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye as being favorable to the local and international community at large. By winning the prestigious local award organized with the support of the NAC, Liew’s art piece has been effectively acknowledge by Singaporeans and even the government alike to contain not only storytelling appeal, but also an accurate portrayal of nationalistic sentiment. Additionally, the rave reviews Liew’s book receives from international publications and periodicals brings critical commentary on the artwork itself on the Singaporean artwork, and by extension Singapore’s national narrative. Having Liew’s art work scrutinized under both international and local scrutiny, I feel that Thongchai’s fear of topics studied by local academics such as nationalism having less “critical inquiry and rigorous challenges” (21) due to “homegrown knowledge” (21) is minimal through exposure, disqualifying Liew’s artwork as a misrepresentation of Singapore while lending greater credibility to Liew’s artistic rendition on Singapore’s national
Judy Fong Bates’ Midnight at the Dragon Café and Robert Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” use the representation of the Café to place focus on the hardships of immigration. Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” “is a thank you poem” (Kroetsch 321), which focuses not only on the life events the narrator is thankful for experiencing in Charlie’s café, but also the isolation and alienation Charlie experienced in that “prairie town” (Kroetsch 321). Much like Charlie in Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy,” the Chens, specifically Su-Jen’s parents and Lee-Kung, also experience alienation and isolation in the town of Irvine. Bates’ Midnight at the Dragon Café and Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” are both works that use their respective cafés in order to represent the struggles of identity, the discovery of self, and the hardships and sacrifices of immigration.
Interregnum, painted by the Chinese artist Hung Liu, is a massive oil painting created circa 2002. With the intentional application of several principles and elements of art in her work, Liu effectively depicts her late Asian culture’s traditional aspects while also exposing the harsh reality of China’s Communist society. Hung Liu incorporates a variety of styles into Interregnum while also utilizing color and line to visually communicate the subject matter to the viewer. In a formal interpretation of this work, the overarching theme of Interregnum will be explored and described, focusing on the particular values sought out by the artist Hung Liu.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues foreigners will come upon is to maintain a strong identity within the temptations and traditions from other cultures. Novelist Frank Delaney’s image of the search for identity is one of the best, quoting that one must “understand and reconnect with our stories, the stories of the ancestors . . . to build our identities”. For one, to maintain a firm identity, elderly characters often implement Chinese traditions to avoid younger generations veering toward different traditions, such as the Western culture. As well, the Chinese-Canadians of the novel sustain a superior identity because of their own cultural village in Vancouver, known as Chinatown, to implement firm beliefs, heritage, and pride. Thus in Wayson Choy’s, The Jade Peony, the novel discusses the challenge for different characters to maintain a firm and sole identity in the midst of a new environment with different temptations and influences. Ultimately, the characters of this novel rely upon different influences to form an identity, one of which being a strong and wide elderly personal
“I don’t want to be part of this kind of denying reality. We live in this time. We have to speak out” (Klayman). Ai Weiwei is an internationally known Chinese artist as well as activist, and his motivation and determination can be summed up by this quote. In all of his pieces, Weiwei critically examines the social and administrative issues facing China today. Many of his works exhibit multiple themes that can be interpreted in various different ways. This lends itself to the universal appeal of his art and makes it a more effective medium of conveying his messages to viewers. Ai Weiwei’s activist artwork—and activist artwork in general—is important to society because it effectively forces the viewer to engage in a self-reflective process that makes the viewer critically examine his or her own beliefs and world. Nevertheless, censorship greatly hinders the dissemination of the critical and thought provoking messages of Ai Weiwei’s art and makes his artwork less effective. In order to gain a better understanding of the relationship of Ai Weiwei’s activist art and the Communist Party’s subsequent censorship, I will examine Ai Weiwei’s influential childhood, his specific brand of activist artwork, the censorship of the Chinese government and the effects of censorship on the effectiveness of Ai Weiwei’s art.
Woan, Sunny. "Interview with Gene Yang American Born Chinese." Kartika Review - an Asian American Literary Journal. Kartika. Web. 25 July 2011. .
The story focuses on her great-grandfather, who was in disapproval of the French occupation of Vietnam, but still excelled at his job as a Mandarin under the puppet imperial court, fearing persecution of his family if he were to resign. In this section, the author also mentions more about the how the values of confusion had influenced the Vietnamese people in attempts to justify her great grandfather’s
Gordon accurately depicts the varied and vibrant Asian culture, by showing the reader this world instead of simply describing it. Each of the men whom Gordon uses to tell the story undertakes expeditions which are mixed with hardships and triumphs. The varied spectrum of Asian cultures is covered. Readers will find Gordon’s take on tackling this topic fresh and straightforward.
… Romantic art and expression helped fill the demand for a distinctive cultural identity that political independence had encouraged, providing the means for expressing what was felt to be a uniquely national experience and identity. It also afforded… the basis for a critique of the shortcomings of the new nation and its culture.
Lipman, Jonathan Neaman., Barbara Molony, and Michael Edson. Robinson. Modern East Asia: An Integrated History. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print.
In this article, I will argue that Zhang’s artworks engage with the notion of identity within the
On the other hand, keeping silent due to pressures from the white population means being shunned by the members of the Asian American population. I disagree with Chin’s ascertation that “years of apparent silence have made us accomplices” to the makers of stereotypes (Chin 1991, xxxix). I agree with Hongo’s argument that Chin viewpoint “limits artistic freedom” (Hongo 4). Declaring that those writers who do not argue stereotypes of the good, loyal, and feminine Chinese man or the submissive female, are in any way contributing to or disagreeing with them is ridiculous. Chin’s opinion that politics should be included in some aspect of every Asian American piece eliminates choice from writing topics for other writers. Authors are the voices of the people (whichever people they choose to represent) and should not be criticized for choosing to discuss issues other than those that Chin deems necessary.
Ebery, Patricia – Walthall, Anne – Palais, James. East Asia, a Cultural, Social, and Political History. Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston. 2009.
Wilson, Constance, Dr. "Colonialism and Nationalism in Southeast Asia." Colonialism and Nationalism in Southeast Asia. Himself, July 2005. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
Toer’s portrayal of Annelies Mellema as innocent and childish is symbolic of a naïve pre-colonial Java before the corruption of Dutch influence. Her birth being the result of a unique relationship between a Dutch colonizer and Javan concubine known as Nyai Ontosoroh, Annelies exhibits physical features of both cultures. Annelies is characterized as being a girl that is “white-skinned and refined with a European face and the hair and eyes of a Native” representing the crossing of two cultures within Java (Toer 25). Despite her capability of helping her mother Nyai Ontosoroh run their family business, Annelies remains submissive and allows various authority figures in her life like her mother, doctor, and husband Minke to make life decisions on her behalf. This, coupled with her physical fragility that is especially apparent in the form of illness whenever Minke is absent from her life for extended periods of time is Toer’s method of illustrating the weakness of pre-colonial Indonesia that is eventually conquered and forever changed by the Dutch. Despite h...
Postcolonial authors use their literature and poetry to solidify, through criticism and celebration, an emerging national identity, which they have taken on the responsibility of representing. Surely, the reevaluation of national identity is an eventual and essential result of a country gaining independence from a colonial power, or a country emerging from a fledgling settler colony. However, to claim to be representative of that entire identity is a huge undertaking for an author trying to convey a postcolonial message. Each nation, province, island, state, neighborhood and individual is its own unique amalgamation of history, culture, language and tradition. Only by understanding and embracing the idea of cultural hybridity when attempting to explore the concept of national identity can any one individual, or nation, truly hope to understand or communicate the lasting effects of the colonial process.